New invention turns windows and glass into noise-cancelling speakers

Designed by Austrian industrial designer Rudolf Stefanich, Sono turns any window into a filter for disruptive noises.

The small plastic device uses the same technology found in noise-cancelling headphones where unwanted sounds are picked up and then the exact same frequency and wavelength but 180 degrees out of phase are sent out, nullifying the noise.

Yet Stefanich's design goes one step further and allows users to isolate specific noises they want to hear while filtering out the ones they don't. Sono's ability to selectively neutralise noise means that you only hear the sounds that you want.

While Sono is being marketed to the home market (the marketing tagline is 'Sono lets you reclaim that silence for your home), it does have potential applications for the studio world. Just imagine not having to worry about your heavy-hitting bass passing through that single-paned window.

If it all sounds a bit science fiction-y, that's because it is at the moment. Sono is still in the prototype stage but has become a finalist in the prestigious James Dyson award, meaning Stefanich is one step closer to bringing it to market.